Police Block Streets After Gas Leak Causes Minor Fire

COSTA MESA —  A gas line leak caused a small fire at a Southern California Gas Co. regulator valve Saturday morning, forcing police to close part of Harbor Boulevard and Fair Drive for four hours.

At one point, the gas leak sent bursts of “shooting flames in the air,” said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Allen Huggins. No injuries were reported, and the fire caused no damage, police and gas company officials said.

The Costa Mesa Fire Department called the utility shortly before 7:30 a.m. to inform officials about the fire at the valve at Harbor and Fair. The old-style valve regulates the gas pressure in the service area, said Gail Roseen, the company’s district manager.

Workers sent by the gas company had difficulty finding the source of the leak but later located and capped it, Roseen said. No residents in the area lost service.

Police, however, did close sections of Harbor and Fair for four hours and also temporarily closed a gas station and a car dealership, both of which were near the valve, Roseen said.

“We were just taking all the necessary safety precautions,” she said.

The roads and the businesses were reopened about noon, police said.